#29 - Beyond The State XC Finals

Inside this Issue

• The post-state meet scene

• Michigan’s first NCAA XC champion

• More college signings

• Little Things

XC Post-Season Highlights

(See official results by clicking on the meet name.)

NXN Midwest (Terre Haute, Nov. 11): Michigan is shut out of the team competition here by MHSAA rules, but our Great Lakes state made the headlines, with Rachel Forsyth not only taking a big win but beating the course record at one of the nation’s most important XC sites. Her 16:31.1 took down the 16:38.3 best that had been set in 2020 by Wyoming prep Sydney Thorvaldson. To put that in perspective, Forsyth ran 18 seconds faster than fellow Pioneer Zofia Dudek did in 2019, the year she won Foot Locker Nationals.

In 2nd was Selma Anderson of Ottawa Hills in 17:18.0. Madison Osterberg ran 6th in 17:24.6, Gail Vaikutis 8th in 17:29.4 and Annie Hrabovsky 9th in 17:29.5. Only the top 5 qualified for Nationals.

The boys NXN Midwest race saw TJ Hansen qualify for Nationals with his 4th-place finish in 14:50.9. Chelsea’s Connell Alford ran 10th in 15:02.6, with Seth Norder 13th in 15:03.4.

Videos: Girls Race - Boys Race - Rachel Forsyth interview

Michigan Meet of Champions (Shepherd, Nov. 11): Jessica Jazwinski of Hart won the girls elite team race again in a blazing 16:49.9, as frosh Ava Schafer of St Johns edged GR Catholic’s Emily Tomes at the line, 17:32.6-17:32.8. On the boys side, it was Seth Conner of Jenison (15:01.4) who won over frosh Kamari Ronfeldt of Pioneer (15:09.8). Check out the video of this year’s event.

Mideast Meet of Champions (Kettering, Ohio, Nov. 18): Led by Emily Tomes in the runner-up position (18:12.1), the Team Michigan girls scored 33 to beat Indiana (38) and Ohio (57) in this annual seniors-only competition. Also breaking into the top 10 were Jayden Harberts (3rd, 18:15.1), Katie Watkins (4th, 18:18.4) and Meghan Ford (10th, 18:37.2). Girls video.

The Team Michigan boys completed the sweep, scoring 23 to top Ohio (45) and Indiana (70). Pinckney’s Evan Loughridge (2nd, 15:37.5) and Paul Moore (3rd, 15:45.7) led the team. Other top 10 finishers were Ty Parker (4th, 15:47.4), Nolan Pinion (6th, 15:48.9), Noah Selveraj (8th, 15:52.5) and Alex Thole (9th, 15:53.4). Boys video.

Foot Locker Midwest (Kenosha, Wisconsin, Nov. 25): It was a Michigan sweep as Rachel Forsyth and Thomas Westphal put together great races. Forsyth didn’t get a meet record this time, but a 16:57.8 on the tough course is notable. She won by 26 seconds. Also making nationals were Jessica Jazwinski (4th, 17:32.1) and Victoria Garces (8th, 17:40.0). Girls video.

In a very tight pack finish, Thomas Westphal (14:59.2) and Connell Alford (15:01.3) went 1-2 to be the only two Michigander boys to advance to Nationals. Boys video.

Coming Up: RunningLane Championships (12/2, $$ webcast on Milesplit), NXN Nationals (12/2, free webcast), Foot Locker Nationals (12/9, free webcast). And lest you think there’s an off-season for fans, indoor track starts with a 12/2 meet at Grand Valley!

Legend: Quentin Brelsford, Michigan’s First NCAA XC Champion

Quentin Brelsford wasn’t the first star in his family. His older brother Clayton won the Class B half-mile title in 1933 and would later be a Big 10 champion for Michigan and 4th in the NCAA 1500 in 1936. He would go on to be a submarine commander in WWII, and was even mentioned in the famous book, Run Silent, Run Deep.

That might have seemed like big footsteps to follow, but Quentin ended up being a much bigger star in the running world. He won 3 Class B titles in the 880 (1936-38) for Birmingham. In his final state meet, he clocked 1:57.6, setting a meet record that would last for 24 years. The next weekend, he stepped up to race the big boys, placing 3rd against collegians (one of them his brother) at the Michigan AAU meet while setting a state record 1:55.4 (that mark lasted 23 years before it fell).

After a freshman year at Michigan, the younger Brelsford transfered to Ohio Wesleyan. His running career was interrupted by World War II in the midst of his first year in Delaware, Ohio. He joined the Air Force, first attending aircraft engine school in Illinois (he got his diploma autographed by Charles Lindbergh) and then working on aircraft maintenance and repair in Morocco and Italy for the duration of the war. He had been fixated on planes from early on. As a teenager, he went to hear Amelia Earhart give a talk and he met the famed aviator in person afterwards.

During those war years he kept running when he could, in 1944 racing a military 800 in Rome in 2:03. Still, in 1946, his first year back, he got into good enough shape to place 3rd in the NCAA mile, running 4:16.1. That time made him No. 16 in the world that year. He was called a “dark horse” coming into the NCAA cross country race, despite winning his 5 previous races that fall. He didn’t take the lead until the final 100, and he won the sprint by two strides. As the New York Times put it, “An unheralded distance man from Ohio Wesleyan University-- Quentin Brelsford--paced a field of 147 runners with an upset victory in the National Collegiate cross country run here today.” He clocked 20:22.9 over the 4M course in East Lansing, just 10 seconds off the course record (the NCAA was held in East Lansing every from its beginnings in 1938 through 1964).

Said his coach, George Gauthier, “He’s a boy with a lot of natural ability, but he runs strictly with his heart. He was sick through the first three miles, but he just outran the pain in his stomach.”

In 1947, Brelsford ran a 4:14.2 mile indoors in Cleveland, losing to the top American miler, Gil Dodds. Then he placed 5th in the NCAA mile despite coming in with the fastest collegiate time of the season. At that fall’s NCAA cross country race, few were betting he could win again. Said one newspaper, “Coaches give this lad little chance to repeat this year due to the fast field.” Even so, he entered the last mile looking very much like a repeat winner. Time magazine wrote, “It was a day that wasn't fit for man, beast or cross-country racers. The temperature was 27°, and slushy snow covered the Michigan State course. Squishing in sodden shoes, 154 athletes last week slogged after the National Collegiate cross-country crown. After 3¾ miles, Defending Champ Quentin Brelsford of Ohio Wesleyan was 20 yards in front. Then, rounding an icy curve, he slipped, and landed sprawling on his face.”

The fall, with a quarter mile left, gave him little room to catch up. He sprinted to finish 3rd, 7 seconds behind the winner.

In 1948, he decided to move up to the 5000 for the Olympic year. His mile time the previous year made him No. 6 among Americans, so he must have figured his chances for a top 3 finish were better at the longer distance. At the Trials, however, he only placed 11th. Because of the heat, officials supplied the competitors with water, actually pouring it from bottles on them as they ran past. The water seeped into Brelsford’s spikes, causing blisters. “All I can say is it should have been spray instead of bottled water,” he said.

After his athletic career, Brelsford lived for decades in Latin America as an engineer for the auto industry. He later retired to Florida.

More College Signings

Have more to report? If you know of any current seniors who are planning to compete in college, please email us at [email protected].

• Mariah Belmont (Macomb Dakota) - Missouri/Kansas City

• Kali Bunce (Mattawan) - Kalamazoo College

• Milena Chevallier (Farmington Hills Mercy) - Texas A&M

• Brody Crandall (Hamilton) - Lake Superior State

• Jessa Davis (Birch Run) - Lake Superior State

• Braydee Elling (Oxford) - Central Michigan

• Alex Engel (Walled Lake Central) - Adrian

• Chris Estell (Clinton Twp Chippewa Valley) - Madonna

• Rylan Finstrom (Grayling - Michigan State

• Olivia Findlay (Marlette) – Wayne State

• Clara Fletcher (St Johns) - Grand Valley

• Kyah Hicks (Holland Christian) - Adrian

• Lexi Hurst (East Kentwood) - Central Michigan

• Allison Kuzma (Zeeland East) - Hillsdale

• Tyler Lenn (Marine City Mooney) - Grand Valley

• Aidan Leslie (Anchor Bay) - Northwood

• Evan Loughridge (Pinckney) - Michigan State

• Aubrey Mery (Oxford) - Detroit Mercy

• Aiden Moore (Battle Creek Lakeview) - Michigan State

• Paul Moore (Pinckney) - Savannah College of Art & Design

• David Murphy (Flint Powers) - Saginaw Valley

• Grace Norton (Gibraltar Carlson) - Adrian

• Madison Osterberg (Jackson Lumen Christi) - Michigan State

• Owen Patton (Vestaburg) - Grand Valley

• Avarie Peddie (Zeeland West) - Central Michigan

• JJ Ragland (Hazel Park) - Adrian

• Lauren Rokos (GR Ottawa Hills) - Grand Valley

• Morgan Roundtree (Oak Park) - Miami (Florida)

• Dominic Scharer (Hillsdale Academy) - Hillsdale

• Noah Selveraj (Bay City Western) - Grand Valley

• Silas Smith (Utica) - Lawrence Tech

• Ava Steinhebel (Dearborn Edsel Ford) – Wayne State

• Ava Teed (AP Cabrini) - Central Michigan

• Jaymes Vines (Burton Atherton) - Adrian

• Abbie Wiegers (North Muskegon) - Central Michigan

• Giselle Wiitanen (Mt Pleasant) - Lake Superior State (TF & volleyball)

• Kendell Wilcox (Shepherd) – Central Michigan

• Michael Wright (Vicksburg) - Adrian

• Abby Young (St Johns) - Grand Valley

• Megan Zahnow (Vicksburg) – Wayne State

Little Things

Malin Smith: The former state discus champ from Lansing Waverly (and successful college thrower at Cincinnati and Texas Tech) is now coaching the throwers at Detroit Mercy.

Brooke Bowers: Another 13-footer for the defending state champion from Forest Hills Central as she won the Turkey-Thon at the Vault Barn on November 18. Bowers’ PR-equaling vault topped Kassie Powell’s 12-6, with 15-year-old Evie Mathis at 11-6, tying with Kenzie Fedewa for 3rd. On the guys side, Greenville junior Trevor Boyer took the win over Brady Lewis as both cleared 13-6.

Tony Mifsud: It seems everyone in the state knows Tony, the irrepressible running coach/booster from Allen Park. The man has more enthusiasm for the running scene and the people in it than anyone I know. Please send him your good thoughts, as he recently underwent hospitalization and surgery. (Plus, his 80th birthday was yesterday!)

RIP: He wasn’t a Michigander, but I’ll wager that any of you that ever made the trek to Eugene for a major track meet and sat in the East stands at Hayward (or visited the Wild Duck afterward) may have met Mike Fanelli, one of the biggest fans (and best historians) our sport ever had. Mike passed away of brain cancer just a few days ago, a shock to everyone who didn’t know he was sick (and that was most everyone, as he didn’t make his illness public). Last month he hit one of his big goals, topping 115,000 lifetime miles of running. Hell of a guy.

Morgan Beadlescomb: The Very Nice MSU alum has been tearing up the roads, winning the USATF 5K title in NYC in 13:44, and then kicking his way to victory in the classic Manchester Road Run on Thanksgiving in 21:12 on the 7.64K course.

Merrie Mile: The Honolulu Marathon road mile will be held December 9, and will have some big names like Yared Nuguse, along with Michigan stars Hobbs Kessler and Morgan Beadlescomb. Also in the field will be the latest addition to the Very Nice TC, 800 star Bryce Hoppel.

Giving Day: This newsletter may have missed the official Giving Day by 24 hours, but with the end of the year coming up, it’s a good time to remind you that donations to help preserve the state’s TF/XC history are all tax-deductible (as well as hugely helpful to the cause). Here’s the link.